Creating Digital Marketing
Strategy
74% of online adults use social networking sites
[As of January 2014 - www.pewinternet.org]
Situational Analysis
– Current Situation
– Previous Marketing Activities
– Current Digital Marketing Activities
– Swot Analysis

Digital Marketing Strategy
• Audience
– Who to Target
– Definition of Target Groups
– Routes to the Target Groups

Digital Marketing Strategy
• Smart objectives
• Channels:-
– Why use Social Media?
– So, what social media to use and why?

Digital Marketing Strategy
Why Facebook?
• Facebook is the dominant social networking
platform in the number of users, but a striking
number of users are now diversifying onto
other platforms.
• 42% of online adults now use multiple social
networking sites

Social Media Channels
• Brodie, March 2014, Inboundsystems

Why Facebook?
• 70% of Facebook users are in a relationship
and it is anticipated that they will encourage
their partners/children to join/engage in other
marketing initiatives
(Fanalyzer, 2013)
• Facebook also has Facebook Offers. You can
share discounts with potential customers by
posting an offer on your page. Use images as
50% more engagement

Why Twitter?
• 44% of twitter users are in age group 18-34,
[Branded and Edison Research/Arbitron Internet
and Multimedia Study]
• 59% of Twitter users are Women
[Mashable.com]
• Great for spreading brand messages and
promotions
• Widely used in sporting circles

Why LinkedIn?
Why LinkedIn?
• Use LinkedIn to target Employees of Corporate
Organisations/Associations, whose own
employees will themselves be LinkedIn users.
• Also widely used for Recruitment purposes

Why Pay Per Click?
• PPC is an internet advertising model used to
drive traffic to websites. You pay the
ad-hosting service when the ad is clicked.
• Targeted marketing method for people who
are searching specifically on keyword phrases
• Total control over ad-text & landing page
• Cost effective – only pay when someone clicks
on the ads and can set budget
• Measurable – 100% accountability

Why YouTube?
• YouTube is a free means of delivering video
content/footage online
• More than one billion unique users visit
YouTube every month, global audience, mainly
adults 18-34, [youtube.com]

Youtube
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe3St1G
goHQ

Digital Marketing Strategy
• Action Plan
• Budget
– ROI
• Measurement :-
– Measurement mechanisms for each of the
channels implemented
– Measuring progress of the plan against objectives

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
Situational Analysis
• IFA – Irish Football Association-Governing
body for Football in Northern Ireland
• Responsible for developing, promoting and
fostering International, Domestic and
Grassroots Football across the six counties.
• IFA has nearly 1000 members in their NI Fans
Supporters Club and also provides Coach
Education

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
• The Association needs to increase
membership, coach education revenue,
game/competition revenue, if they are to
prosper and grow
• Want to strengthen their links with sponsors
and increase revenue from kit
sales/promotions

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
• Promotional activity and getting message out
to the target groups in the community is key
to survival for the IFA to raise awareness
• Recent marketing activities haven’t been
structured or planned and have consisted of
an informational website and some email
marketing as no budget

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
• The new routes to the target categories will be via existing
(website, e-zine, email marketing) and new-to-IFA (Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn Business Page, Pay per Click, You Tube) digital
media technologies.
• A number of platforms will be used to help with the delivery,
monitoring of and evaluation of the digital media platforms,
content and strategy.
• As there is a low marketing budget, deliberate efforts have
been made to focus on platforms that are inexpensive/free,
but the anticipated spend for Year 1 will be approximately
£1,045.

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
Swot Analysis (Table 2)
Strengths
 Accredited governing body
 Represented by FIFA and
Articles of Association
 Qualified staff with relevant
professional qualifications e.g.
Coaching Badges
 Excellent programmes from
grassroots to international
 High standard coach
education courses and
reasonably costed
 Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Opportunities
 Increase Fan base and
revenue, coach education
course revenue
 Target wider audience to get
message out there re
development and participation
 Use Social Media platforms
more effectively to target
defined groups
 Increased awareness of
football from the World Cup
2014, and
 Smartphone sales in uk will be
90% this year
Weaknesses
 No marketing Strategy and
historically no budget
 Not adequate resources to
cope with demand
 Staff salaries in most cases
aren’t high
 Unsociable hours for
employees
 Lack of recent success for men
at International Level
Threats
 Economic Climate
 Other sports to include Ulster
Rugby

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
Audience (Target Groups)
The IFA will target a range of audience groups to
include the following :-
– Those with lowest administration costs
– Those that generate highest revenue
– Those that are most likely to remain loyal to the
sport
– Those who would actively be involved in coach
education

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
TABLE 3: DIGITAL CHANNELS
e-zineFacebook Twitter LinkedIn
Business Page
Pay Per
Click

Instagram YouTube
Male Adults   
Female Adults   



Prof Footballers    

M/F (14-18yrs)  






Target Groups Digital Channels to the Target Groups

Action Plan
Start Date End Date Social Media Channel Target Groups Resources Linked with Event (See Events Calendar-
Appendix 1)
13th June 2014 13th July 2014 Facebook All TG Groups Marketing Dept – Mkt Assistant
Jenny
World Cup/Bosnia v NI (14th June), NI V Scotland
(19th June) World cup Qualifiers
13th June 2014 13th July 2014 Twitter Prof.Footballers Marketing Dept – Mkt Student-Lee World Cup/Bosnia v NI (14th June), NI V Scotland
(19th June) World Cup Qualifiers
13th June 2014 13th July 2014 YouTube All TG groups Marketing Dept – Mkt Manager
Geoff & Mkt Assistant Johnny
World Cup/Bosnia v NI (14th June), NI V Scotland
(19th June)World Cup Qualifiers
13th June 2014 13th July 2014 PPC Male Adults Marketing Dept – Mkt Manager
Geoff & Mkt Assistant Johnny
World Cup/Bosnia v NI (14th June), NI V Scotland
(19th June)World Cup Qualifiers
13th June 2014 13th July 2014 ezine All TG Groups Marketing Dept – Mkt Assistant-
Jenny
World Cup/Bosnia v NI (14th June), NI V Scotland
(19th June)World Cup Qualifiers
1st Aug 2014 30th Aug 2014 ezine Female Adults & F (14-18yrs) Mkt Assistant-Jenny NI u17sv Wales, NI U19s V Estonia (27th-30th
Aug)(Female)
1st Aug 2014 30th Aug 2014 YouTube All TG Groups Mkt Manager Geoff & Mkt
Assistant Johnny
NI u17sv Wales, NI U19s V Estonia (27th-30th
Aug)(Female)
1st Aug 2014 30th Aug 2014 Facebook Female Adults Mkt Assistant-Jenny NI u17sv Wales, NI U19s V Estonia (27th-30th
Aug)(Female
1st Aug 2014 30th Aug 2014 Twitter Male Adults Marketing Dept – Mkt Student-Lee NI u17sv Wales, NI U19s V Estonia (27th-30th
Aug)(Female
1st Sept 2014 30th Sept 2014 ezine All TG Groups Mkt Assistant-Jenny Male & Female NI – 11 Fixtures-September(World
Cup & Euros)

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
Critical Actions to ensure campaign successful :-
• Evaluated current website
• SEO – Search Terms & Rankings
• Re-Design
• E-zine - Place social sharing icons (Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter, Instagram etc.) in e-zine to
encourage sharing content and “likes”

IFA Digital Marketing Plan
Critical Actions
• Set-up Webmaster Tools - data and analytics to
help improve performance in Google search
• Enable Webmaster Tools data within Analytics
– to make data visible in SEO reports.
• Set-up accounts for the social media platforms
e.g Google AdWords, Google Analytics,
LinkedIn Business Page , Facebook Page,
Twitter, Groupmetrics, Hootsuite

Budget
Channel / Tool Budget per annum
e-zine (GroupMail) already paid for
Facebook free
YouTube free
LinkedIn Business page free
PPC (Google AdWords) £800
Twitter Free
free
Instagram Free
Google Analytics free
HootSuite £80
GroupMetrics £165
Budget

Measurement
e-zine click-through rates to landing page
Facebook click-through rates to landing page, offers redeemed & Facebooks Analytics Tools, Google
YouTube Click views and likes, Google Analytics
LinkedIn Business Page click-through rates to landing page
+
Pay Per Click Track conversions, keyword analysis,- Google Analytics
Twitter Twitter Analytics e.g. Twitonomy & Google Analytics Tools
Instagram Google Analytics
Search Engine Optimisation Custom Reports, measure clicks/visits from organic ranking,
measure against competitors, use WebMaster Tools, use Google Chrome SEO toolbar
Measure how each of the Channels performs

Christie’s Direct Case Study